Karlene Frances Salyers

BALLSTON SPA — Karlene Frances Salyers, lovingly known to friends as “Bobbie,” passed away on December 15, 2024, in Glens Falls, New York, at the age of 79. Born on February 10, 1945, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Karlene spent her early years in rural Appalachian Kentucky, where she developed a deep bond with her mother, Flossie Lou Jordan, despite the challenges of an impoverished childhood.

After graduating high school, Karlene married and began a journey that took her from Hammond, Louisiana, to Ohio, and eventually to Saratoga Springs, New York. Following the end of her first marriage when her son Kirt von Daacke was a toddler, she pursued higher education and earned a degree in studio art from Skidmore College. A few years later, she remarried and moved to northern California before divorcing again. As a single mother in Silicon Valley, Karlene transitioned into a successful career as a writer and marketing executive in the tech industry.

In the 1980s, Karlene lived in Utrecht, traveled the continent widely, and cultivated a lifelong passion for European culture, particularly French art and culture. By the 1990s, she made the Saratoga area her home once more, what she called a homecoming to reconnect with her alma mater. Her cosmopolitan experiences stood in stark contrast to her Appalachian roots but reflected her resilience and determination to create a life filled with learning and exploration, particularly in conducting genealogical family research. 

Karlene reconnected with her extended family in later years and cherished these bonds deeply. Despite declining health in recent years, she found comfort in the companionship of friends and neighbors in Ballston Spa. She is survived by her son, Kirt von Daacke of Virginia.

In honor of Karlene’s memory, donations can be made to Skidmore College to support her wish for a scholarship program for women pursuing art degrees: https://www.skidmore.edu/advancement/ways-to-give/index.php. May her memory inspire those who knew her.